Tag Archives: Rock

Relatively new to the fold having formed less than a year ago by vocalist/drummer Tyler Hodges and guitarist Tom Dimmock, this October will see the official release of Arianrhod, the debut EP from Milton Keynes’ nastiest “nuclear sludge” duo Tuskar.

Signed to Riff Rock Records – the UK’s leading purveyors of sludge, doom and stoner rock – Tuskar’s arrival completes a hard rock triptych of artists currently residing on the London-based label; together with afro-psych trio Vodun and the quite frankly, fuck-knows-whatery of fuzz-masters Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters.

For Hodges and Dimmock the chemistry they share is unmistakable, both live and in the studio. Having grown up listening to the likes of Conan, Sleep, Behemoth and Darkthrone, at only twenty years of age both bring an energy and savagery that could potentially mark Sludge Metal’s future as forever theirs.

“We’re really excited to be a part of Riff Rock,” explains Hodges. “We can’t wait for this chapter of our journey to start, and we can unleash the riff upon the masses.”

Recorded at The Cro’s Nest studio by Slabdragger’s Sam Thredder, Arianrhod, the band’s first EP ushered in that first consignment of riffs when initially released by the band last year. A furious and relentless foray into the heady and broken heart of darkness, tracks like ‘Fateweaver’ and ‘Where Strides the Colossus’ burn like brutal wildfire under cracked skies. And with a second EP in the pipeline (with Thredder once again at the dials) and a debut long player mooted for early 2018, Tuskar’s devastating prolifacy is matched only by their sheer ferocity.

Arianrhod by Tuskar is released on 20th October 2017 via Riff Rock Records but you can stream and share it in full via the band’s Bandcamp page below:

Ripple Music is thrilled to announce the upcoming rerelease Freedom Hawk; the self-titled 2009 album from vintage rock pioneers Freedom Hawk.

Hailing from the barrier dunes of Virginia, the quartet blend heavy riffs into rolling grooves and soulful guitar melodies to showcase their sound. Widely recognized as one of the leading forces in the retro-rock movement, their exceptional brand of heavy and high energy live shows leaves many questioning whether they’ve stepped through a time warp directly out of the ’70s hard rock heyday. Wrapped in core metal tones with slight psychedelic edges Freedom Hawk’s driving beat and heavy guitars offer the kind of timeless vocals that gave light to the dawn of the new and heavy revival.

Freedom Hawk by Freedom Hawk is released worldwide on 17th November 2017 on vinyl and CD. For more info visit www.ripple-music.com and stream and share the album in full below:

Since 2005, Interstelar has been grinding it out on every filthy, neon splattered stage in Los Angeles. Honed razor sharp by the laws of the concrete jungle and piloted by founding member, singer/guitarist Jason Kothmann.

Originally enlisting the help of friends Gio DalMonte on bass (replaced shortly afterward by Earl Houston) and Kiko Montecillo on guitar, the trio eventually found Jeff Murray – who now tours with world beating psych thrashers The Shrine – to play drums. With that line-up Interstelar recorded and released their debut EP React in Silence in 2006 and continued to play live in and around the Los Angeles area, making inroads wherever they could.

Following numerous line-up changes, the band entered Total Annihilation Studios in East LA in 2011 with engineer Eddie Rivas to record a follow up. Of their second EP, On Black Waves, the respected site Heavy Planet were keen to point out that Interstelar, “…know how to weave sonic webs with even-tempered drums, rolling bass, stuttering guitars, and hypnotic, tongue-twisting vocals,” and certainly the same can be said here with the band’s first full-length album, Resin. Swallowing everything in its path from the underground skyward, pulling monstrous, stoner rock riffs high above Terra Firma and into realms of sweeping and celestial post and progressive rock, it’s arguably their finest release to date.

After countless recording and re-recording sessions, endless mixing and that usual dose of intermittent drama, Resin was self-released digitally in August 2016 and featured the current line-up of Kothmann on vocals and rhythm guitar, Gary Gladson on lead, PJ McMullan on drums and Joe “Pooch” Puccio on bass.

Out this December for the very first time on vinyl and at last scheduled for a worldwide release on 8th December 2017 through Kozmik Artifactz, the official arrival of Resin marks a giant progression for the band and one that will raise them up from the underground.

Initially conceived in a dingy rehearsal space in Humboldt Park during the fall of 2011, Faces of the Bog have fast become one of the underground’s most celebrated secrets following the self-release of their debut album Ego Death late last year.

For the Chicagoland quartet, their own unique interpretation of sludge has never run neatly alongside preconceived notions of how this kind of music should be played. Choosing to ignore convention and instead, power brutal riffs headfirst into psychedelically heightened grooves, relying on atmosphere and mood to create melodic textures they are a band constantly pushing the envelope. “Ego Death is a revelation. I’ve been longing for a band to step up and challenge the existing music scene and the way Faces of the Bog do it is so exciting.” (OUTLAWS OF THE SUN)

Produced and engineered by the band and Sanford Parker (Voivod, Yob, Wreckmeister Harmonies, Bloodiest) at Electrical Audio and Decade Music Studios, Ego Death hit pretty damn hard for an “independently put-out” album. Released digitally and on CD in October 2016, Metal Injection was quick to praise its, “existential ride of psychedelic waves and auras [and] collection of bangin’ sludge jams,” all of which journeyed the same sonic highways shared by the likes of Pink Floyd, Tool and Neurosis. Going one further, they described it as a record packed with, “a fascinating range of psychedelic sludge and hints of doom and acid tones.”

“It’s truly amazing these days when an underground band from a US city like Chicago can release an album completely on their own,” explains guitarist/vocalist Trey Wedgeworth. “We’ve been amazed and humbled by the feedback we’ve received all over the world. Fans from places like Germany, Norway, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, and Russia have all reached out to us to give their kind words to what we’re doing.”

It was while playing a handful of shows last year with pacific north-westerners Mother Crone that the band were introduced (in a roundabout way) to the good work of Nederland-based record label, DHU Records.

“Mother Crone ran into some transportation issues while out on tour and we were fortunate enough to be able to help some good dudes in need,” says Wedgeworth. “They more than repaid the favour by putting us in touch with Robert Black at DHU Records. DHU is a DIY label that releases limited edition vinyl packages for some of the heaviest bands in underground music today, so we quickly forged a great relationship and are completely ecstatic that he’s now rereleasing Ego Death on vinyl.”

Ego Death will get an official vinyl release on 22nd September through DHU Records but can be streamed and purchased digitally through Face of the Bog’s Bandcamp page here.